In the summer of 1966, David Ortiz of Houston walked 400 miles from the Rio Grande Valley to the state Capitol on the "Minimum Wage March" for farm workers, despite a beating by police before the march began.

His refusal to give up marked Ortiz's life of community service, political activism and struggle for justice, family and friends said.

Ortiz died June 10 at Triumph Hospital North Houston. He was 79 and had suffered a stroke in late May, his son, Daniel Ortiz Sr., said.

"He always wanted to help the underdog," Ortiz said of his father, who met and was inspired by California activist Cesar Chavez.

"If my dad was broke, he would still find a way to help someone out," Ortiz said. "I saw him do it. He sacrificed a lot."

In about 1950, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War, where he was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

"He wanted to volunteer," said his wife of 55 years, Dalila Ortiz. "His older brothers both served in World War II."

'He led the way'

Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia said Ortiz was part of America's "Greatest Generation."

"David Ortiz served his country and fought overseas to return home to fight for equality for the Hispanic community he loved so much," Garcia said by e-mail. "He led the way by participating in the process at virtually every level — from advocate to precinct judge to veterans' associations."

After his military service, Ortiz came home to Houston, got married and found work as a printer, which became his lifelong career.

Between the start of his VA volunteer service in 1990 and his last visit a few weeks before his death, Ortiz logged close to 12,000 volunteer hours, the equivalent of almost six years full-time service, said Bryan Dyck, volunteer program manager.

In earlier years at the VA, Ortiz devoted many hours to planning and executing annual "stand downs," in which the VA set up a tent downtown to reach homeless veterans.